Monday 25 September 2023

ALMOND by Widian

A bottle of Almond perfume by Widian
The question of how a perfume company can expand its range, and at the same time potentially attract a new set of customers, is one that every brand has to eventually ask itself. It’s very easy to continue in exactly the same vein, especially if you’re experiencing success, but this can also actually limit a company’s overall growth. If you’re famous for exceptional extrait strength perfumes then the obvious route is to move into the more affordable Eau de Parfum concentration, but this needs to be done sensitively. One company that has achieved this seamlessly is Widian, and their Almond fragrance is absolutely delicious.

Widian first launched in 2014 and, back then, was called AJ Arabia. Over the following five years it formed a core base of fans and, as is the way with every brand, established its particular style. Now, Widian’s unique quality was that all of their fragrances were launched as extraits and took inspiration from the rich heritage of Abu Dhabi. The scents were described as “desert-born elegance” and, from the beginning, strived to use the purest ingredients, especially when it came to their incense, and so the richness of the blends was always an exciting feature of every perfume.

Ali Aljaberi, the founder of Widian, said of his fragrances, “your perfume is your unseen personality; it expresses your mood and reveals your secrets”. Now, the style of fragrance that is worn in Abu Dhabi is a little different to the more European tastes. Yes, the oud and rich rose revolution did make its way over to Western fragrances, but the more native style that you’ll find is much deeper and resinous than the more mainstream versions. It was this intensity of fragrance that Ali wanted to convey in his collection; a real taste of Abu Dhabi.

The box for the Almond perfume by Widian
So, as I mentioned at the beginning, a way was needed to bring in a new audience for Widian, without compromising on quality, and that was via the Eau de Parfum Rose Arabia range. It was originally launched as a collection of three scents, Lily, Taifi, and Almond, and were intended to capture the various facets of rose but with a modern twist. Each focused on their individual key ingredient but, because these weren’t traditionally rosy scents, it proved a little confusing for some customers. So the decision was taken to refer to them by their star ingredient instead. This is a lot easier, which may be why I went nuts over Almond.

The fragrance opens with a fruit accord of raspberry and peach, which is a definite nod to that facet in many roses, but it’s given an edge thanks to pink pepper. There isn’t much citrus in the opening, which makes it feel as though you’re going straight to the heart of the scent. The almond note then appears, and stays prominent throughout with its slightly waxy texture, before a tuberose and orange blossom blend comes through with their deeply intoxicating nuances. The final development of the scent however drops its stridency and becomes embracingly soft, even though it’s built on a foundation of patchouli, vanilla and whiskyed musk. Almond is a fascinating scent, and wonderfully genderless, and definitely delivers the promise of expressing your “unseen personality”.

Almond is available from the Jovoy website at jovoyparis.uk, as well as its store in Paris, and is priced at £156 for 100ml. [Sample provided by Widian]
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